National greening program still on
BAGUIO CITY – Close to 15,000 seedlings will be planted by city officials and employees from May 15 to the end of August, in compliance with the National Greening Program (NGP).
There are 1,494 employees at city hall and connected offices.
Now on its 7th year, the NGP earlier was projected to reforest 1.5M hectares nationwide with 1.5B tree seedlings from 2011 to 2016 only, as to Executive Order 26, s. of 2011. Employees and students were required to plant a minimum of ten seedlings per year in available areas, as identified by concerned groups, civil society organizations and agencies.
This year however, maintenance, protection and clearing sometime in December 2017 and April 2018 will be done in planted areas to increase tree seedling survival rate, a memorandum from Mayor Mauricio Domogan states. Request for additional schedules of planting and clearing from other groups can be coursed through the Forestry Division of the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), headed by Cordellia Lacsamana.
Departmental tree planting started with the City Assesor’s Office breaking ground with
430 seedlings in a lot at Camp 7, May 19. The Accounting and Internal Audit, and General Services Office follow suit on May 26 and other dates; and City Budget Office, June 2, all in the same venue.
The Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Prosecutor’s and Regional Trial Courts will plant 90 trees on June 9; Administrators’ Office, June 20; the Health Services Office, Legal Office, Sangguniang Panlungsod and Treasury, plant their trees on June 16 and on other dates; and the Local Civil Registrar on June 24.
The City Building and Architecture Office, Library, City Mayor’s Office, Social Welfare and Development Office, and Veterinary personnel plants their ten seedlings each in July, as CEPMO, Burnham Office and remaining office personnel plant in August.
Reforestation works against climate change, and at the same time would serve in poverty alleviation as alternative livelihood, through seedling production and timber care for agroforestry products, the memorandum from the mayor read.
Areas for reforestation would be public lands, forests, ancestral claims, civil and military reservations, urban greening, inactive and abandoned mine sites and other suitable lands. Julie Fianza